Let's get the obvious out of the way first. This is a great film. But more than that, it is an important film.Before The Music Dies says a lot of the things many music fans have been thinking for years now. It also asks the single most fundamental question many of us have pondered over: Has the music industry abandoned both music fans--and more importantly, the musicians themselves--in the almighty name of commerce over actual art?To find the answer, Andrew Shapter and his team travelled from coast to coast, speaking with fans, critics, and several musicians--ranging from household names like Eric Clapton and Elvis Costello--to a number of people you have never heard of (but in a number of cases, you should have). Academy award winner Forest Whitaker narrates.In doing so, several of the villians you've come to know and hate are uncovered as expected. These include the usual suspects such as the huge, faceless radio conglomerates like Clear Channel and the tight, restrictive playlists such corporations ushered in. The way music videos forever changed the way we experience music by coloring in the images we previously were able to conjure ourselves--emphasing the flavor of the moment, and pretty faces that are discounted as fast as you can say Britney Spears--are also given ample examination.And let us not forget the record companies who have replaced old school "record guys" cut in the mold of people like Columbia's great John Hammond and Atlantic's Ahmet Ertegun, with corporate bean counters whose ties run far closer to Wall Street than they do to Abbey Road or Muscle Shoals.I mean, it used to be about the music, man. Right?

Truth is, much of this ground has been covered before, and in great detail, most notably in books like Fred Goodman's great The Mansion On The Hill. Like that book's subtitle, this is a film dealing with the collision of music and commerce. But where that great book puts things in terms of both a historical perspective and what was at the time it was written, a warning--Before The Music Dies brings things full circle into the present day world of MP3 downloads and the like.Rightfully so.Before The Music Dies applauds the instant access to music that such former traditional delivery systems as the LP album and the cassette--and the soon to be extinct CD--have long since been put out to pasture by way of restricting what the mass audience is actually able to hear. My only complaint here is that it fails to likewise address the way that such instant access reduces music to more of a single song driven commodity, than it has ever been before. Wonderful thing that this technology is, the bottom line is that the guys running companies like Microsoft and Apple have even less of a connection to the music itself than their predecessors at places like Warner and Sony did.What was that famous line from Pete Townshend about "meet the new boss, same as the old boss?"Still, this is an absolutely fascinating, and dare I say it, important film. It is also one that asks all of the right questions at exactly the right time about whether we are going to surrender the art and the heritage of our music--and the culture it represents-- forever to some faceless, corporate monolith--whatever mask it chooses to wear. This is truly thought provoking stuff.

Of the artists interviewed--people like Erykah Badu, Dave Matthews, and Branford Marsalis--several things also stand out. Marsalis for example rightfully points out how Bruce Springsteen would have been "thrown out on his butt" by today's record companies after releasing several records sounding nothing like Born To Run.Erykah Badu likewise puts things into the modern perspective of how todays artists better show up with their cleavage hanging out. This, from an artist who has done more to summon the ghost of Billie Holliday and out it in a modern hip-hop sort of perspective than anybody I can think of.Before The Music Dies also introduces us to some great new artists I had previously never heard of. These include Doyle Bramhall II--who is championed by no less than Eric Clapton as the "real deal"--and Calexico, a band who combine some very nice atmospherics with a Spanish sort of flavor.For people who truly love music, this film is a must. You can view a trailer for it by going here. Be sure to click on the fast forward, double arrow function once the trailer ends too. There you will find one of this film's truly revealing gems--how a talentless 17 year old model is transformed into a "singer" by modern day studio technology.

REVIEW:AFTER HOURS is an excellent live document of the early roots of bebop, capturing this exciting music in the process of being built by its pioneering architects. Recorded live in New York City at jam sessions at Minton's Playhouse and Monroe's Uptown House in 1941, these tapes feature young modernists Charlie Christian, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Kenny Clarke, and Don Byas as they pushed the structural materials of swing toward something new and intense.

Beyond the historical significance of these sessions, however, the music is simply fabulous. There are revisions of "Stardust" and "Stompin' at the Savoy, " but the tunes are mainly blues-based improvisations, with plenty of syncopated play and stretched-out soloing from all involved. Christian's guitar takes center stage--his fluid, fleet-fingered style and mellow amplified tone have become such a stock part of jazz guitar, it is hard to remember that he almost single-handedly wrote the book. Though Gillespie gets double-billing on this set, he only appears on four of the nine tunes, but one can hear early hints of the advanced technical style that would explode in his work with Charlie Parker in the later '40s. This music is truly classic.

This album is prime mid-sixties Lee Morgan, in the company of five stellar associates. Billy Higgins had been Morgan's drummer from The Sidewinder forward; thus he and Morgan had recorded with Wayne Shorter (on Search For The New Land, and The Gigolo) and Herbie Hancock (Search and Cornbread). Bobby Hutcherson was the leading vibes innovator of the era and (like Morgan, Shorter and Hancock) a Blue Note contract artist: he had previously worked with Morgan on Grachan Moncur's Evolution. While Ron Carter's bass had not been heard behind Morgan he was perfectly compatible and, of course, he worked with Shorter and Hancock in the immortal Miles Davis Quintet of the time. One fascinating sidelight of the session is that it took place in the middle of the production of Davis' Nefertiti.

"The Procrastinator" is a stunning Morgan composition with a variety of strengths. During the slow section, the main theme conveys a majesty akin to the classic "Search for the New Land," while the counter-melody on the bridge could pass for the work of John Lewis; once the tempo arrives, however, the line shows how perfectly it assumes a relaxed hard-bop lope. Morgan is extremely poised and, the pinpoint brilliance of his sound notwithstanding, mellow. Shorter sounds very Trane-ish, as he did on some of his own Blue Note dates of the time (and for the most part didn't with Miles), and Hutcherson is joyously fleet. Blue Note's "house" pianist of the time (Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Andrew Hill) always brought out the best in the vibist, and the value of Hancock's support here is unmistakable. The pianist lets his own lines soar, with minimal use of the left hand, and comments pithily behind the ensemble as he does throughout the session.

"Party Time," a staccato medium blues, shows the ability of these men to get into a groove without affectation. Hancock's subtle voicings and shifts in attack sound easy but are actually quite sophisticated, as are Shorter's beautiful simplicity and Morgan's tonal innuendos.

Shorter's "Dear Sir" takes the sextet into the ethereal atmosphere of the Davis quintet. The slow, calmly twisting 16-bar line floats in characteristic Shorter fashion with harmonic modulations and rhythmic emphasis appearing at unexpected places. In the tenor solo we hear a different Shorter from "The Procrastinator," a quietly compassionate and highly intelligent voice that has synthesized Coltrane, Rollins, Young and Getz. Hutcherson, whose approach is quite different, achieves an incredible unity, of mood, and Hancock is this mood. The trumpet player on a piece like this must obviously confront Davis' example, and Morgan does sound uncommonly close to Miles in a solemn solo.

Morgan's bright "Stop-Start" does just what the title implies. Everyone digs in and flies here (note the change in Shorter), with Hancock bouncing ideas between left and right hands in what might be called his "Blue Note style" (with Davis he often played what amounted to right-handed solos). Morgan breaks up his lines in order to play with the beat, creating the impression of a man whipping the music with controlled fury. There are moments of disorganization in the fours with Higgins, but they hardly impair "Stop-Start's" glowing energy.

Carter begins "Rio" with some characteristically reverberating lines. Shorter's melody is a terse quasi-bossa nova, 14 bars in length, which has an infinite quality akin to so many of Wayne's pieces (like unravelling an onion skin). Hancock and Shorter are most adept in this setting, with the composer working in his enveloping lower register and displaying his elegant thematic bent.

With its off-center intro by piano and bass and its stealthy theme, Morgan's "Soft Touch" displays some Shorterish sensitivity. This was the last recorded meeting of the two horn men, who had complemented each other so brilliantly since 1959 in the Jazz Messengers, and "Soft Touch" reminds us how each (in different ways) was a master of tantalizing ambiguity. Morgan's casual cockiness and Shorter's gruff nonchalance both work, aided by the taut rhythm section. Hutcherson piggybacks phrase on phrase and shows off his bright metallic sound, while Hancock seems to buff his already lucid ideas through repetition. Lee had recorded this tune with Jackie McLean in 1965 as "Slumber."

Recorded at Capitol Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California on July 12 & August 8, 1954

Amazon.com:While at the time Clifford Brown was associated with East Coast jazz and the burgeoning hard-bop movement, these 1954 Los Angeles recordings show that he was just as much at home and just as welcome in the midst of the West Coast's cool school. Jack Montrose wrote the arrangements for this septet, and the band is perfectly formed to showcase Brown's brilliant trumpet sound, contrasting it with the lower-pitched but lighter sounds of Zoot Sims's tenor saxophone, Bob Gordon's baritone, and Stu Williamson's valve trombone. Brown's best-known compositions, "Daahoud" and "Joy Spring," are heard in their debut recordings here, and they're well suited to the Montrose treatment, with Brown's scintillating bop lines moving fluidly within the developed ensemble harmony. The other horns have some fine solo moments, but it's Brown who stands out, the precision of his attack highlighting the subtlety and invention of his solos. Pianist Russ Freeman and drummer Shelly Manne contribute tasteful support throughout, and the new remastering by Rudy Van Gelder highlights both the brassy sheen of Brown's playing and the lightly grained reeds. --Stuart Broomer

During 1955, trumpeter Art Farmer had a short-lived quintet with altoist Gigi Gryce, but because neither of the co-leaders were big names at the time, the band did not last long. Fortunately, they did record two albums of material, of which this CD reissue (originally known as Evening in Casablanca) was the second. In addition to Farmer and Gryce, the unit includes pianist Duke Jordan, bassist Addison Farmer, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. With the exception of Duke Jordan's "Forecast," the cool-toned hard bop date consists entirely of Gryce compositions, of which "Evening in Casablanca" and "Nice's Tempo" are best known. Excellent music well deserving a close listen. -- AMG Link

In the mid fifties, Al Cohn, Joe Newman and Freddie Green were ubiquitous at RCA Victor jazz sessions. In 1955, they made five superb small group swing albums together for RCA with the group size ranging from septet to nonet. These wonderful sessions were issued as Cohn's The Natural Seven and Four Trumpets, One Tenor, Newman's All I Wanna Do Is Swing and I'm Still Swinging and Green's Mr. Rhythm.

The 11th volume in Mosaic's Select series is one of its finest. Devoted to the Blue Note recordings of Jamaican-born trumpeter Dizzy Reece, it offers a particular portrait of one of hard bop's most capable practitioners. There are five sessions compiled here, issued on four albums -- the legendary debut Blues in Trinity (1958), Star Bright (1959), Soundin' Off (1960), and Comin' On! (1960). These sides were the introductions American audiences had to the hot licks trumpeter who offered a wealth of influences and styles in his solos and compositions.

Singling out Blues in Trinity is necessary because it was the transition album for Reece, whose reputation preceded him -- via the critical raves of Miles Davis -- to American jazzmen, and was recorded in Paris. Americans Donald Byrd and Art Taylor were working in the city as was Canadian bassist Lloyd Thompson; add to this two vacationers in the form of British alto legend Tubby Hayes and pianist Terry Shannon, and you have an international jazz summit. An unusual sextet session with two trumpeters, the set includes no less than six Reece originals and a wonderful read of Monk's "'Round Midnight." Reece's blues pieces -- the title track, "Close Up," and "Shepard's Serenade" (with a blazing solo by Hayes) -- are tough, lean, hard-blowing sessions, full of knotty line configurations and intense, over-the-top solos by the horns. Its follow-up Star Bright also included Taylor, but the rest were current and future Davis sidemen including Hank Mobley, Paul Chambers, and Wynton Kelly. The rapport between Mobley and Reece is of particular interest because of the sharp contrast in their playing styles and tones. Mobley was already moving toward his soulful, bluesy approach and his tone was warm and fully juxtaposed to the fiery phrasing and bright, brittle tone exhibited by Reece on his tunes such as "The Rake" and "Groovesville." Soundin' Off offers Reece in a quartet setting without any other horns on the front lines, Taylor is once again on the set with pianist Walter Bishop, Jr., and bassist Doug Watkins completes the band. What is interesting is in the longer lines Reece is featuring in his solos and his willingness to stretch time by relying more on Taylor's long-ish beat, such as on "Once in a While" and "Blue Streak." Reece's final album for Blue Note is two separate sessions. Besides Reece, the only constant is saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. On the first half of the disc, Art Blakey, bassist Jymie Merrit, and pianist Bobby Timmons usher in the bluesy, soulful groove that Reece began exploring in his playing in early 1960. This is fleshed out further when saxophonist and flutist Musa Kaleem is added to the front line, and the rhythm section features Al Harewood, bassist Sam Jones, and pianist Duke Jordan. Here was the extension of hard bop into the beginnings of funky soul. Reece's tempos slowed just a bit, but his gut-bucket groove got deeper and wider. His soloing offered the same strident musculature, but it was more reliant on following the blues line rather than breaking it into fragments. The underlying swing on this session is wonderful and continuous despite the presence of two bands. This is one of those box sets a jazz fan will be eternally grateful for. There was nothing left in the can, so these sides are complete without bonus material, but it hardly matters when they are all assembled in one place.(Thom Jurek)

TRACKLIST:1. Line For LyonS 2. Walking Shoes3. Love Me Or Leave Me4. Carioca5. Freeway 6. Moonlight In Vermont 7. The Lady Is A Tramp 8. Bark For Barksdale 9. My Funny Valentine10. Bernie's Tune11. Five Brothers12. Turnstile13. I May Be Wrong 14. Swing House15. Lullaby Of The Leaves16. The Nearness Of You17. I'm Beginning To See The Light18. Makin' Whoopee19. Frenesi20. Nights At The Turntable21. Jeru22. Cherry23. Aren't You Glad You're You24. Tea For Two

Review:The first half of this album has the six rarest studio performances by the Gerry Mulligan quartet, excellent music that does not duplicate the Mosaic box or Jeru's Prestige output. The quartet with trumpeter Chet Baker sounds at the top of its form on such songs as "Varsity Drag," "Speak Low," "Half Nelson," "Lady Bird," "Love Me or Leave Me" and "Swing House." The second half of this set is not on the same level, finding the Buddy DeFranco quartet of 1953 hampered by The Herman McCoy Swing Choir on six numbers, all of which have "Star" in its title. This budget set inexcusably leaves off any personnel or date listing but is worth picking up for the Mulligan performances.~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

TracklistI Got Plenty O' Nuttin'2. He Loves And She Loves3. A Woman Is A Sometime Thing4. They Can't Take That Away From Me5. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off6. Strike Up The Band7. Things Are Looking Up8. They All Laughed Ell9. A Foggy Day Ella Fitzgerald10. How Long Has This Been Going On?11. Summertime12. Love Is Here To Stay13. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York14. 'S Wonderful Ella Fitzgerald15. I Was Doing All Right16. Oh, Lady Be Good

REVIEW:All of Bennie Green's Blue Note records were rich with joyously swinging blues and bop, highlighted by his warm, friendly tone and good humor. Walkin' & Talkin', his third record for the label, was no exception to the rule. Leading a quintet that features tenor saxophonist Eddy Williams, pianist Gildo Mahones, bassist George Tucker and drummer Al Dreares, Green keeps things light, swinging and immensely entertaining. Mahones wrote three of the six songs, including the swinging opener "The Shouter" and the Latin-tinged "Green Leaves"; Green contributed the bluesy title track, and the group offers two standards engaging, lightly swinging readings of "This Love of Mine" and "All I Do is Dream of You." The result is no different than Green's two previous Blue Note records, but it's no less satisfying, and fans of swinging bop should be contented with Walkin' & Talkin'.~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Trumpeter Cat Anderson had one of his infrequent vacations from Duke Ellington's Orchestra to record this rare and decent small-group swing date. The septet has five of Duke's men (including trombonist Quentin Jackson, violinist Ray Nance, bassist Jimmy Woode and drummer Sam Woodyard) joined by pianist Leroy Lovett and either Rudy Powell or Budd Johnson on reeds. Some original jump tunes alternate with Ellington/Strayhorn ballads ("A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing" and "Chelsea Bridge") and, although nothing too unpredictable occurs, the music should please swing and Ellington collectors.

23 janeiro 2011

The trumpet is a musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family.The trumpet is used in many forms of music, including classical music and jazz. Trumpets have three piston valves. Each of these change the length of tubing when the player blows into it. There are lots of trumpet techniques: flutter tonguing, growling, double tonguing, triple tonguing, doodle tongue, glissando, vibrato, pedal tone, etc. They are made of brass tubs bent twice making an oblong shape, and are played by blowing air through closed lips.

The Brass family by Noah

The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. It is a lip-reed aerophone instrument. The trombone is characterised by having a slide with which the player changes the length of the tube to change the pitch. A person who plays the trombone is called a trombonist. The parts of the trombones are: tuning slide, counterweight, mouthpiece, slide lock ring, bell, knob, water key, main slide, second slide brace, first slide brace and connector nut.

The French horn is a brass instrument. Horns have three valves, wich are pressed with the left hand, they are pressed to change the pitch. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player. The horn is the second highest sounding instrument group in the brass family. The horn is most often used as an orchestral instrument. The French horn has a spiral shape.There are differents horns: like the double horn, the Vienna horn, the hunting horn, the French Omnitonic horn, the natural horn at the Victoria, the Mozart era natural horn, etc.

The tuba is the largest and lowest pitched brass instrument. Its sound is produced by vibrating the lips into a large mouthpiece. The tuba is used in jazz. Tubas have four to five valves. There are four types of tubas: the bass tuba, contrabass tuba, tenor tuba and the subcontrabass tuba. It is the principal bass instrument in symphonic and military bands. It serves as the bass of the brass section and of brass quintets and choir.

TRACKLIST 1.whistle while you work 2.perkin’ 3.beyond the sea 4.i dig ed 5.lullaby of the leaves 6.forelock 7.soft as spring 8.just for judie 9.if i love again 10.red eyes 11.pushin’ sand 12.i’ll be in scotland after you

REVIEWThis excellent album (a reissue LP of music deserving to be reissued on CD) is really led by Shorty Rogers, who provided the dozen arrangements and five originals, although he does not play trumpet on the date. Featuring a quintet of fine West Coast players (including pianist Pete Jolly at the beginning of his career), Rogers’ charts really set the mood for the set of cool jazz. Trumpeter Conte Candoli and tenor saxophonist Bill Perkins (heard at his coolest, tone-wise) take plenty of fine solos, while bassist Buddy Clark and drummer Mel Lewis are lightly swinging in support. This is a near-classic that has somehow remained obscure through the years, perhaps due to the group’s name.by Scott Yanow

tracks #9/10 SHELBY DAVISLloyd Lifton (p), Bob Leshner (g), Max Wayne (b), Mickey Simonetta (dr), Shelby Davis (voc)Chicago, August 15, 1951REVIEW:In the late Forties trombonist and composer Bill Russo, a young and prominent disciple of Lennie Tristano, was already leading his own experimental studio bands in Chicago. He always composed with a concern for jazz, and did much in the field of advanced orchestral writing, finally rising to fame when successful bandleader Stan Kenton hired him in early 1950. He became one of Kenton’s most brilliant orchestra arrangers, but decided to return to his hometown in 1955 to continue writing and conducting. He proved to be an extraordinarily well-informed individual in diverse areas, with the felicitously stimulating personality of one who is always an intellectual but never an intellectual snob. He worked in the jazz and classical fields and, in his opinion, a good symphony musician could play really swinging jazz if it was properly written. And he brought a much needed insistence on integrity to the music. This CD compiles the most important of his early works, including The World of Alcina, a ballet score in five dances which Russo defined as “a piece written in terms of my background in jazz.” ~ Absolute Distribution

tracks #7/11 BILL RUSSO ORCHESTRAConducted by Bill Russo. Johnny Howell (tp), Al Mueller (tp), Porky Panico (tp), Dom Geraci (tp), Davo Mulholland (tp), Tommy Shepard (trb), Paul Grumbaugh (trb), Paul Severson (trb), Marc McDunn (trb), Earl Hoffman (trb), Phillip Farkas (frh), , Frank Brouk (frh), Don Hagner (tuba), Ronnie Kolher (reeds), Lennie Druss (reeds), Hobart Grimes (reeds), Vito Price (reeds), Mike Simpson (reeds), Gus Jean (reeds), Phil Wing (reeds), Ken Soderbiom (reeds), Eddie Baker (p), Mel Schmidt (b), Fari Bakus (g), Mickey Simonetta (dr)REVIEW:In the late Forties trombonist and composer Bill Russo, a young and prominent disciple of Lennie Tristano, was already leading his own experimental studio bands in Chicago. He always composed with a concern for jazz, and did much in the field of advanced orchestral writing, finally rising to fame when successful bandleader Stan Kenton hired him in early 1950. He became one of Kenton’s most brilliant orchestra arrangers, but decided to return to his hometown in 1955 to continue writing and conducting. He proved to be an extraordinarily well-informed individual in diverse areas, with the felicitously stimulating personality of one who is always an intellectual but never an intellectual snob. He worked in the jazz and classical fields and, in his opinion, a good symphony musician could play really swinging jazz if it was properly written. And he brought a much needed insistence on integrity to the music.

REVIEWMany people in the UK were first introduced to jazz through the music of Chris Barber (I was one) who has now been playing and leading various groups for over 55 years. Chris played, and still does to a large extent, what came to be known as Traditional Jazz and it had a huge following in the 1950s although over the years he broadened his musical style and played on a regular basis with such ‘modernists’ as Joe Harriott. Here in recordings from 1954 and 1955 with his regular group the band plays typical music from that period. Lonnie Donegan, who played banjo for a while with Barber, went on to have a successful musical career in the pop/folk world and was one of the leaders in introducing the ‘skiffle’ sound to the UK. One of his forgettable hits was ‘My Old Man’s A Dustman’

An obscure set by trombonist Curtis Fuller that was originally put out by the Warwick label, this otherwise unremarkable set is sparked by the inclusion of the young trumpeter Freddie Hubbard (recently arrived from Indianapolis) and tenor saxophonist Yusef Lateef. With veteran bebopper Walter Bishop on piano and two players from Quincy Jones' big band (bassist Buddy Catlett and drummer Stu Martin), Fuller performs four originals and three standards (including "If I Were a Bell"). Hubbard's fiery statements often steal the show. ?Scott Yanow

AMG REVIEW:Review by Scott Yanow Valeri Ponomarev, one of the most underrated trumpeters in jazz, has a style based in the hard bop tradition of Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard, yet he keeps an open mind toward newer developments. On this CD, he is teamed with tenor saxophonist Bob Berg (whose soulful post-bop style has long been influenced by Michael Brecker), the little-known but talented Philadelphia-based pianist Sid Simmons, bassist Ken Walker, and drummer Billy Hart. The quintet performs six of the trumpeter's tricky yet swinging originals and a reharmonized rendition of "We'll Be Together Again." Ponomarev's very impressive range (hitting high notes with little difficulty), full sound and inventive ideas clearly inspire his sidemen. Berg puts plenty of passion into his solos, and Simmons makes one wish that he were recorded more extensively. Easily recommended to modern straight-ahead jazz collectors.